Winter is coming
With the doom and gloom of winter approaching and the promise of wet, head torch runs looming, I start to wonder how I’ll stay motivated. Here are a few tips that I’ve picked up over the years:
1) Schedule a fun race for early in the new year. This helps have a short term target to get you through the Christmas period. For runners in Cornwall, the Brown Willy Fun Run is a great example
2) Switch up your training. Maybe you’re an ultra runner and are used to long runs. Why not switch to some shorter, faster work and target a 5k PB in the new year. This won’t harm your training in the long run and will more likely facilitate it. By changing the training stimulus you will target less developed areas of your running e.g. speed and neuromuscular development
3) Factor the dewindling motivation into your training. Don’t expect yourself to go out for long, hard sessions in the dark and cold. Schedule these for days when you can do them in daylight
4) Organise social runs. I find the prospect of meeting up with people a sure fire way to overcome the challenges that winter throws at you. The 100th solo head torch run of winter is no longer exciting but add in company and you can relive the thrill of the first one
5) Try new routes out. That footpath you run past everyday, try taking it and seeing where it goes. It’s amazing what a bit of change and variation can do for a seeming stagnant training programme
6) Don’t be hard on yourself. Any run is better than none at all. If you don’t feel like completing the full planned distance, just get yourself out of the door for a mile or two. That’s not to trick you into completing the whole run, rather that every little helps and that maintaining our habits, that is running regularly, is really important.
7) If you’re unwell, rest. We’ll all get a cold or worse over the winter. When you’re under the weather let your body recuperate and give it the time to repair
Let’s hit the new year with momentum and carry that into our next running goals